Liverpool condemn racist abuse of Ibrahima Konaté after Galatasaray tie | OneFootball

Liverpool said in a statement on Friday that they were appalled and disgusted by racist abuse directed at Ibrahima Konaté after the Champions League last-16 second leg against Galatasaray.

The return leg finished 4-0 at Anfield on Wednesday, following a 0-1 defeat in the first leg, sealing a quarter-final place. After the match, countless racist comments flooded the 26-year-old defender’s Instagram account.

Many messages came from supporters of the Turkish club, who believe the Frenchman deliberately injured Victor Osimhen on Wednesday night. The behaviour was branded totally unacceptable, dehumanising, cowardly and rooted in hate.

Social media platforms were criticised for failing to moderate effectively, with a call for companies to take responsibility and act now. The platforms have the tools and resources to stop abuse yet too often fail, allowing racist hate to spread and harm players, families and communities across the game.

Liverpool will continue to support Konaté and work with the relevant authorities to identify offenders where possible. The burden should not remain on players and clubs to react after the damage is done, and the current situation cannot continue. The issue must be confronted, challenged and eradicated now.

Source: L'Équipe